Rising Night 4: The Journey
by Mormeril
Summary: The Chosen are now united. The Dark Forest has attacked. ShadowClan's territory has gone up in flames and the lake is turning red with blood. StarClan are despairing. And everyone seems to have forgotten the trible. What will happen to the Clans? Read the other Rising Night stories first, you will understand way better. Old fans: R&R.
1. Prologue

**Hey, everyone! Here it is at last, Rising Night book four: The Journey! And you know what that means :) MY EXAMS ARE DONE!  
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**Hollyleaf: That's what the prologue of PT 4 means?  
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**Mormeril: Since I said I'd post it after exams, yes. It was this morning at nine. I just had a bunch of other stuff to do before posting this.  
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**Blackstar: We're not that important?  
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**Mormeril: Part of that was making sure that this was the best it could possibly be.  
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**Spottedleaf: Good.  
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**Mormeril: Also, big news guys. But that will be down in teh bottom author's note. So you're just going to have to r&r to find out :)  
**

Rising Night Book 4:

The Journey

_Prologue_

_~ShadowClan and ThunderClan~_

Flames were everywhere, and smoke, thick and black, filled the air. Cats gasped as they ran to the lake, where death in the form of their DarkClan enemies awaited them. The lake began to run red with the blood of cats. Those who were behind turned and ran towards the RiverClan border, ShadowClan and the ThunderClan refugees alike, praying that there would be solace for them and their kits and elders. But there wasn't.

_RiverClan~_~

Cats screamed in horror as Dark Forest warriors and DarkClan cats descended on them in the early dawn. But there was no where to run. They fought bravely, but in the end many died and the river began to flow red with blood, and lifeless bodies littered the ground, eyes staring blankly up at their still living kin.

The ShadowClan and ThunderClan cats fled to them, but there was nowhere for them to go. The three Clans fled together to WindClan territory.

_~SkyClan~_

The SkyClan cats leaped out of trees, performing their signature sky-drop attack. It was effective, but not effective enough. They were too outnumbered; DarkClan had bred like rabbits, and the warriors of their Clan of traitors were well trained. So they did the only thing they could do: Fled to WindClan, in hopes that the other Clan could help them.

_~WindClan~_

WindClan, however, could help none of the other four clans. They themselves were under attack, and many of them were dead. The grass of their hills and moors was stained with blood.

But not all was as hopeless as it seemed.

"Clan cats, this way!" yowled a black she-cat who seemed to have come from nowehere.

"Shadowstalker!" Onestar yowled gratefully.

"Come on! I have safety and shelter for you with my rogues."

So the Clan cats, led by Shadowstalker, fled from their territories to potential safety.

_~Shadowstalker's Rogues~_

Light gazed in horror as Shadowstalker led the numerous Clan cats up to the caverns that were home to the rogues. Had it really come to that? Were the Clans on the brink of destruction? She pressed against Star, feeling his warm pelt against hers.

"Everything will be all right," the silver tom assured her, licking her good ear. "I promise."

_~The Tribe of Rushing Water~_

Stormfur and Brook gazed at the sky.

"It's so dark," Brook meowed. "I pray that there will be no more destruction. Stoneteller has seemed nervous these past few moons. And now the sky is turning black again. What could it mean?"

"I do not know," Stormfur replied honestly.

As he spoke, smoke began to appear on the horizon. Both cats' eyes widened in horror.

"The Clans live that way!" Brook mewed.

"Dear StarClan, no!" Stormfur meowed.

Then the image of his sister then appeared, fear in her eyes. "The Dark Forest has returned!"

**So, what do you guys think? Worth teh wait? Review worthy? Anyway, here's the big news: Well, there's a lot of it. Like, three pieces. Big piece of news number 1: Official Fanfiction email adress. However, Hotmail hates me so it's a UK one even though I live in Canada and signed up for it here in Canada... My real one is Canadian... Hotmail's weird, but that's no big news. Official Fanfiction Email will be posted on my profile, and on my very new, awesome, OFFICIAL FANFICTION WEBSITE! That's right, I've got a website for you to get all of the newest, latest, coolest info on my fanfictions. Plus, to top it all off, I now have a special Fanfiction youtube account, where I will be, and, for the past week leading up to this, have been posting official trailers for these fanfictions. There are three for HR, one for MP, and one for HP, as well as one for this story, as well as two for two of my LOTR fanfics. So go check it out. Mormerilfanfics is the name of that account. Website link will be on my profile.**

**Hollyleaf: So drop a review, then go check it out!  
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	2. Ch 1: Pain And Accusations

**Here's chapter 1! Hope you all enjoy.  
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Chapter 1

Pain and Accusations

_~The Chosen~_

"We abandoned them," Hawkfire meowed dully, angrily, accusingly. His paws were scratching at the ground, claws unsheathed. Furiously, he dug them into the ground deeper while scratching, and blood began to ooze from his paws from the stress he was putting on them.

"Stop it, you'll hurt yourself," Hopeflower begged, her eyes wide with concern.

"We abandoned them when they needed us!" Hawkfire yowled, throwing his head back, ignoring her.

"StarClan told us to, it was the only way," Goldensong replied simply. The other seven cats, Moonshine, Hopeflower, Echoflower, Lightningstrike, Boltpaw, Oakstep, and Rosepetal, watched closely as Hawkfire snarled at the mysterious misty-furred pale golden tabby.

"We abandoned them. They needed us, and we left them to die!"

"We had no choice!" Goldensong was bristling, furious, determined to make Hawkfire see the truth, that they truly hadn't had any other choice.

"There is always a choice!" Hawkfire yowled furiously, rising to his paws. "How many will be dead now?"

"There is a group of rogues leading a resistance. Their leader is Shadowstalker. Any survivors will be saved by her and her rogues. The Clan cats can stay with her until you eight are able to fulfill your destiny. There is no other way," Goldensong replied sternly.

"So the Clan cats who die will be nothing but a sacrifice so we can fulfill our destiny?" Hawkfire hissed.

"Every cat has to make a sacrifice," Goldensong meowed in response.

"You are immortal! All your kin are, that or they are already dead! Don't you dare talk to us about sarifices!" Hawkfire yowled.

Goldensong's eyes widened, and Hopeflower stepped between them.

"Hawkfire, she's right. There was no other way." The beautiful light tabby she-cat gazed at him intensely, her green eyes piercing him. "Besides, what's done is done. We have to follow through now, whether we like it or not, for the sake of our clans."

Hawkfire sighed. "You're right. But I just wish that Shadowflight were here with me."

Echoflower bristled, and Lightningstrike spat in fury. "Believe me, you do not wish that she were here."

Hawkfire began to bristle. "How can you say such things? She is suffering back in SkyClan even now! I love her; I want her to be here, safe with us!"

Lightningstrike spat in fury. "Oh, she is perfectly safe right now; I can assure you of that. Darkheart, my purely evil sister, is a master manipulator, and every cat in DarkClan knows the face of the future Queen of Darkness. She is Ivytalon's heir. I would know my littermate anywhere. Shadowflight is no loyal SkyClan warrior. She is nothing but a fraud!"

Hawkfire's expression was one of bewilderment and horror. "No- no, she can't be! She loves me!"

"She is a master manipulator, I told you that already," Lightningstrike replied simply, lashing his tail. "That she-cat is evil."

Hawkfire was clearly in a state of shock. Most of the other cats were clearly uncertain of what to do in the situation. Hopeflower and Goldensong glanced at each other, each having the same idea.

"Maybe we should just rest here for a bit," Hopeflower suggested. "Everyone appears to be in shock over what just happened, it's probably for the best that we spend the rest of the day, and perhaps the night here. We could hunt for a bit, and set up temporary nests."

Goldensong nodded. "I was just thinking the same thing. Come on, let's get to work."

_~StarClan~_

Bluestar paced back and forth. "This is terrible. So many are wounded, and so many are dead. The Clans are destroyed."

Spottedleaf padded over to her former leader. "That's not true, and you know it. The Chosen are safe, far away from danger, even if our clans themselves are not. When they are ready, the Chosen will return to save them. Hope is not yet lost. You must believe that, Bluestar."

"I'm not sure exactly what to believe anymore," Bluestar murmured.

"The Chosen will not fail. They cannot fail," Spottedleaf meowed determinedly. "Trust them."

Bluestar shut her eyes and sighed before meowing. "I do."

**Hollyleaf: Ominous.**

**Blackstar: Great chapter though.  
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**Mormeril: Review?  
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	3. Ch 2: Refugees, Or Rhymes with Hollyleaf

**Time for chapter 2!  
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**Hollyleaf: At the end you know what to do.  
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**Blackstar: Just drop us a review.  
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**Hollyleaf: Or else I will kill you.  
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**Mormeril: Stop rhyming now, please do.  
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**Hollyleaf & Blackstar: ...  
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**Mormeril: Damn you!  
**

Chapter 2

Refugees

Light sighed as the few remaining Clan cats huddled together, uncertain of the rogues that they were with. Despite having rescued them two days ago, she knew that some of them were still relatively judgemental and prejudiced against them. She had already been hissed and spat at by one cat.

At least the ThunderClan cats were kind and accepting. They always had been, evidently. ThunderClan apparently had some rogue blood mixed in, and ThunderClan cats had apparently been mocked in the past and been called 'a clan of rogues and kittypet warriors' by other Clans. The leaders were all decent to, as was SkyClan, although SkyClan had only recently been rebuilt, and all the warriors were former rogues for the most part.

Star padded up to her. "Still uncomfortable sharing our home with the Clan cats?"

She glanced at him. "What do you think? Some of them still think that they are superior to us! They seem to have forgotten that without us, they would be dead! The leaders, ThunderClan, and some WindClan cats are all right with us, but some RiverClan warrior spat and hissed at me earlier, calling me a filthy rogue!"

She bristled at the thought of it. Filthy rogue. Was that all that she had become now? She found herself longing for the home she had long ago left behind. Not the one she had fled from, but her old home, with her parents and littermates. True, they had put down her dreams, but at least they had been warm towards her. She had been safe, beautiful. And even in the home she had fled, things had been wonderful when she won in the shows. She had been beautiful.

Star looked at her, and seemed to realize what she was thinking. He licked her ear. "Don't let them get to you, don't let them make you think less of yourself. I still think you are the most beautiful cat in the world."

Her eyes lit up at that, and she pressed against him. "I love you," she purred.

"I love you too," Star murmured.

They stayed that way for long moments before one of the Clan cats walked over to them. She was a silver tabby with blue eyes, and quite pretty. Two of her littermates had died, and the other was a medicine cat, she knew. Her name was Flightwing*, and she was the last warrior of her litter, the youngest daughter of the great leader Firestar. Few of her clanmates were left, and she had been quite helpful to all of the clans. Light had decided that the she-cat was her favourite of the Clan cats, and had become good friends with her.

"I was wondering if you two wanted to go hunting with me," Flightwing meowed. "We're becoming short on fresh-kill, and Sealwhisker is expecting kits and needs food," she explained.

"Sounds like fun," Star meowed, and Light mewed in agreement.

"Great," Flightwing purred. "Let's go."

The three cats left the caverns together, some of the cats relatively scornful of the fat that such a prestigious warrior would be so friendly with rogues, but quickly remembered that the she-cat's father had been born a kittypet and had been accepting of all cats, unless they were enemies. Light felt her pelt prickle at some of the stares.

"Why do they hate us so much? If not for us they'd all be dead!" she hissed once they were out of earshot.

Flightwing shrugged. "Who knows? Some of them are very traditional, and hate change. Apparently the Great Journey from the old territories at the Forest was quite interesting to witness, and a lot of cats weren't too happy about how the four Clans were co-operating. Naturally being taken in by rogues is damaging their pride. Some of the Clan cats get very uptight over the smallest things. Don't take it too personally. I've been scorned before too. Apparently I'm too much like my father for my own good," Flightwing meowed. "He took in rogues and kittypets frequently. If anyone needed a home, ThunderClan was willing to accept them under his leadership." She sighed. "I miss him."

"He sounds like a great cat," Star meowed.

"He was. He saved my Clan, and all the Clans, back in the Old Forest. He was a hero. He is still a hero." She sighed. "I wish that Spottedflower and Whitefire were here. Things would be so much easier."

"What happened to them?" asked Light.

"Spottedflower threw herself off a cliff during the last war. The Dark Forest had tried to possess her and use her to kill the Three. Whitefire died when DarkClan invaded our camp a few moons back. Now it's just me and Redwind. Leafpool and and Squirrelflight are still here, of course, but they're not my littermates, just my siblings. It's not the same." She sighed again. "Poor Leafpool. All her last litter except for Gingerpaw are gone. Boltpaw has vanished, and the rest are dead. And Cinderheart only has Blackpaw left." Her eyes squeezed shut. "So many are dead."

Light felt her heart break for the poor she-cat. She decided to lighten the mood. "Come on, let's hunt."

***In Hopeflower's Path, I called her Larkwing, however, that was incorrect. Larkwing is the name of Moonshine and Hopeflower's sister. Firestar's daughter's name is actually Flightwing, the name I gave her in Hollyleaf's Redemption. My sincerest apologies for any confusion this may have caused.**

**Review please?  
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**Hollyleaf: do.  
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**Blackstar: Are you trying to continue the rhyming from earlier?  
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**Hollyleaf: That assumption may make me make your fur curlier.  
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**Spottedleaf: What is it with you and your rhymes?  
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**Hollyleaf: I find them funny most of the time.  
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**Mormeril: *banging head repeatedly against wall* SHUT! UP!  
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**Spottedleaf: Erm, review.  
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**Hollyleaf: Lest I should kill you.  
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**Mormeril: SILENCE FIEND!  
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**Hollyleaf: Your owl's feathers need to be preened.  
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	4. Ch 3: Jealousy

**Chapter three! Sorry that it is short.**

**Hollyleaf: I don't think they care, so long as they get something.  
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**Blackstar: Yeah, ease up a bit, like with your marks. So you didn't get your overall ninety minimum average that you wnated this year, 87.16% overall is still great!  
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**Mormeril: But it's not my goal! *sobs*  
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**Spottedleaf: Now you've done it. Good job. *comforting Mormeril* Now, dear, look on the brightside. You brought up your mark in one class by ten percent, during the hardest part of the musical! Now, that's impressive, isn't it?  
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**Hollyleaf: Erm, you'd better just start reading.  
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Chapter 3

Jealousy

"Hawkfire, will you please stop pacing, it's driving me crazy!" Moonshine complained as the SkyClan tom walked back and forth, back and forth, over and over and over again.

"Why should I? Nothing better to do."

"We could hunt?" Hopeflower suggested. "Or make our dens better."

The nine cats had settled down in a clearing, and had decided to rest there for a quarter moon before setting out again.

"What's the point in improving our dens? We're just going to leave again, and go find some other place even further away from our kin."

Goldensong sighed. "Come on, Hawkfire. They will be fine, I-"

"No they won't be!" Hawkfire snarled, exploding again. "How many of them are dead now? Huh? Oh that's right, we don't know because we left them to die!"

"Hawkfire, please calm down," Hopeflower begged, padding over to him and resting her tail on his back, attempting to soothe him. "Please. There is always hope, you just have to look for it."

_She was perfectly named_, Goldensong thought. _She truly is the flower of hope. Shiningleaf reincarnated._

Hawkfire shut his eyes. "Do you really think that?"

"I _have_ to think that. Otherwise, what point is there in continuing on?" Hopeflower mewed. "Please Hawkfire, don't lose hope. We are StarClan's Chosen. If any of us lose hope, then we will surely fail."

Hawkfire finally relaxed, and began to lean on Hopeflower. Goldensong felt her pelt prickle with an unusual sensation, something she had never felt before. She found herself wishing that she was in Hopeflower's place, that it was her Hawkfire was leaning on.

_Dear StarClan_, she thought. _Am I actually jealous of Hopeflower?_

As Hawkfire leaned against Hopeflower, she began thinking of Ashfire. Was he still alive? Was he worried about Moonshine? Was he worried about her? She sighed. She was jealous of her sister. Truly jealous. Moonshine had Ashfire, and she did not.

Ashfire. She loved him, she had always loved him. But he loved Moonshine, and Moonshine loved him, so she had kept quiet. Should she have spoken up?

No, she had been right to keep quiet. Ashfire and Moonshine belonged together. It was their destiny. And her destiny was to- What was her destiny? To get other cats to find hope? Seemed like a pretty lame destiny to her. Moonshine got to free other cats from living death and she got the tom, and she just helped other cats to find hope in hopeless situations. Was that all that there was for her in life? She had wanted so much more. To be a mate and a mother, to be loved, to be the best warrior that she could be.

But no, here she was trying to comfort a bunch of cats that had forsaken hope. She would never have the destiny that she had wanted. All that she had ever wanted, all that she had ever known, all she had ever been, was gone now.

**Blackstar: Mormeril is still upset, I kinda set her off about a few other things throughout the course of this chapter.**

**Hollyleaf: I'll say. You spilled a boiling cup of chai spice decaf on her!  
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**Blackstar: At least it's her favourite tea-  
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**Hollyleaf: Gone to waste!  
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**Blackstar: Heheh, keep that sledgehammer away from me, Hollyleaf...  
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**Spottedleaf: Calm down you two! The rest of you, review.  
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	5. Ch 4: Meeting Mist

**Here you are! Another chapter. A nice, good 'ole long one, too!  
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**Hollyleaf: Exactly 1,356 words, not counting the author's notes.  
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**Blackstar: Which means plenty of reading for you!  
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**Mormeril: So, I hope you enjoy it!  
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Chaper 4

Meeting Mist

The quarter moon during which they stayed in that place passed quickly an uneventfully. The cats quickly set up a routine, one which bored them to death. Boltpaw in particular. The young apprentice felt very out of place amongst the others. Hopeflower, Moonshine, and Rosewing were all clanmates. Echoflower and Lightningstrike were also clanmates, and they may as well be mates as they spent so much time together and were obviously in love. Hawkfire and Goldensong spent a fair bit of time together, now that the SkyClan tom had calmed down and stopped going for her throat, and Oakstep was good friends with Hopeflower and Moonshine, having known them well from numerous Gatherings. Boltpaw, however, was the single apprentice and all alone. He had no one.

So Boltpaw tended to keep to himself. He felt less ready than the other Chosen, and when they discussed important things, he tended to just go with it and stay silent. When the others asked him his opinion, he would merely shrug and lower his head. He felt no confidence whatsoever. The others were beginning to notice more, and kept trying to get him to speak up. He didn't like it, so he began to wander away from them more often, preferring to hunt alone. That way he was away from the strange cats he didn't know.

And that was how he found himself one day off on his own, lost in his thoughts, about to run into a strange cat.

_Why did StarClan have to pick me? I'm just a young apprentice. I'm nothing special. Couldn't Thunder have been reincarnated as some other cat? All I want is to go home and be with my family and friends. I hate this place! I don't like these other cats; they're all older than me! Sure, I sort of know Hopeflower, Rosewing, and Moonshine, but I barely saw or spoke to them, despite living in their Clan's camp! I was always with the few ThunderClan cats that were left!_

"Rreowrr!" all of a sudden, a silvery-gray she-cat with vicious blue eyes was lunging at him, claws unsheathed.

Boltpaw's eyes widened in shock. He had been so lost in thought, he hadn't noticed until she had been nearly on top of him. Thankfully, his instincts kicked in and he braced himself, rolling with her as the impact knocked him over, so that she was pinned under him.

Her eyes widened in surprise; obviously she had not expected him to be capable of defense. However, she was obviously a fighter, as she refused to give up, and immediately struggled for a bit. "Lemme go!" she growled, thrashing under his paws, sinking her teeth into his leg, drawing blood, doing anything she could to get him to release his grip.

"Make me," he growled in response.

He noticed that she was quite tiny, which meant that she was obviously very strong for her size, having been able to knock him off balance. That, or she was very clever and had been able to properly judge exactly how to hit with the right impact to make him lose his balance.

She was obviously quite young, no older than six moons, certainly, which made sense for her size. No, definitely younger than six moons; she still had a bit of kitten fluff on her, and most cats he knew lost their soft fluff by about six moons. Five moons, perhaps?

Which meant that she must be a rogue, and a very properly trained one at that, to have been knowledgeable enough to knock a seven and a half moon old Clan apprentice off their paws like she had.

As he had been thinking that, she had settled down and gone limp.

"Nice try," he growled. "I know that strategy. Not going to fool me."

"Worth a shot, though," she meowed in response, opening her eyes. They were glistening with defiance.

"Who are you?" he hissed.

"I might ask you the same thing, trespasser," she hissed.

"What are you meowing about? You're a rogue, I'm a Clan cat. Only Clan cats have territories."

"That's what you Clan cats think. You think you're so much better than every other cat, just because you're 'civilized'. Maybe if you had bothered to learn about rogue culture, you'd know that it's not the truth," she hissed in response. "This just happens to be you're 'civilized'. Maybe if you had bothered to learn about rogue culture, you'd know that it's not the truth," she hissed in response. "This just happens to be _my_ ancestral territory. As the only kit of my parents, I inherited this patch of forest when they died. It is _mine_. You Clan cats have no claim to any single pawprint of the Rogue's Forest, which your lake territories happen to be in the middle of."

"You mean that used to be rogue territory?" he mewed. He'd never known a bunch of rogues had been chased out. Badgers, perhaps, but never rogues.

"Don't be ridiculous, that land is cursed," she spat. "The area around it, however, is rogue territory."

"Boltpaw, is everything all right?"

He turned his head to see the others all standing behind him.

"Looks like he's caught a rogue," Hawkfire meowed.

"Must be the same one we scented earlier," Moonshine meowed.

The she-cat hissed. "You're trespassing on _my_ territory," she snarled.

"Your territory? You're far too young, and you're a rogue. Rogues don't have territory," Echoflower meowed.

"That's what you think, Clan cat. You know nothing about us, you just assume you're better and treat us all like vermin!" she yowled, finally struggling free from Boltpaw's grip, and slashing him ferociously across the muzzle, making him jump back in surprise. Blood spattered on the ground.

"Easy now," Lightningstrike meowed. "I'm sure that we can all cooperate in a non-violent way and come to some sort of arrangement."

"Arrangement? Your Clan cats. The only arrangement you make with my kind is to drive us off and sometimes kill us. My parents and littermates were all killed by your kind for some sort of ceremony. You call us savages, when your kind are nothing but slaughterers and murderers," she meowed, her voice breaking. She was trembling.

The Clan cats all exchanged horrified glances. "They must be near here, then," Oakstep mewed nervously.

"When was your family slaughtered?" Goldensong demanded, the misty-pelted she-cat bristling.

"Only three sunrises ago, why?" she asked. She sniffed then. "And why do you all smell different? I thought that all Clan cats smelled the same."

"Depends on the Clan," Rosepetal muttered. "We need to go; they may still be near here."

"Go where, what's going on?" the small she-cat demanded. "Are you running from something?"

"Something like that," Hawkfire replied. "What's your name, anyway?"

"We don't have time for this!" Rosepetal hissed. "They could be anywhere!"

"My name is Mist, and who could be anywhere?" the small she-cat yowled.

"Who's there?" yowled a sinister voice.

The Clan cats froze.

"Oh, now you've done it!" Rosepetal hissed.

"We need to go, now!" Hawkheart snarled.

"We can't leave her here, she'll be killed!" Hopeflower meowed in horror.

"Take her with us then, let's just get out of here, now!" Hawkheart hissed.

"Take me where- oof!" she mewed as Hopeflower grabbed her by the scruff with her teeth. "Pum'me down!"

"Shut up," Hawkheart hissed. "Now let's go!"

Then the Clan cats bounded away, with Mist being carried off with them.

**Spottedleaf: REVIEW!**


	6. Ch 5: The Death of Darkheart

**Well, here you go. This was my favourite chapter to write so far for book 4, as it gives an insight into Darkheart's true character for the first time since she arrived in SkyClan. And for other reasons as well, but I don't want to give any spoilers.**

**Darkheart: Yeah, that would be aweful. It's such an epic chapter, featuring moi!  
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**Shadowstalker: Self-centered little-  
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**Mormeril: Mind your language, Shadowstalker.  
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**Shadowstalker: Fine. Coughbeewithanitchcoughcough  
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**Mormeril: *glares*  
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Chapter 5

The Death of Darkheart

Ivytalon looked proudly at the conquered ThunderClan camp from the Highledge. She had moved the whole of DarkClan into the Clan territories after their quick conquer of the Clans. DarkClan had quickly produced numerous kits for the Clan.

They numbered over sixty cats now, not counting queens with kits. Some had been former rogues who had sworn allegiance to them in order to spare their lives. Those ones were useful because they knew where to find other rogues. They were, however, among the lower ranking cats.

ThunderClan camp was home to all of the queens with kits. There were currently ten she-cats, with over thirty kits between them. Ivytalon was thrilled. The total number of kits was thirty-seven. Thirty-seven future warriors for DarkClan. Some were very young, the youngest being a quarter moon old. But some were five moons. And as soon as they were ready, they would begin learning to fight. And to kill.

Ivytalon shuddered in delight at the thought of it. Her own army, prepared to kill anything. A dream she had long had, but that was now a reality. At last.

"My Queen?" meowed a familiar voice, her favourite voice. Not the voice of her mate and King, but that of her favourite daughter. Darkheart, her heiress.

"Darkheart, my dear, I've missed you. How were things in SkyClan?" she purred with her velvety smooth voice.

"I- I learned a lot," Darkheart stuttered. "And I-I-I-I-"

"Yes? You what dear? Stop stuttering, it is not becoming of a future Queen," Ivytalon snapped. Darkheart recoiled slightly, not at all used to being on the receiving end of her mother's displeasure, being the favoured daughter.

"I felmumble mumble mumble," she mumbled, eyes downcast, head turned away from her mother.

"You what dear? You're mumbling, that's just as bad, if not worse, than the stuttering," Ivytalon snapped, tail lashing slightly, her eyes narrowing.

"I fell in mumble mumble mumble." Again Darkheart failed to say what was on her mind. The young she-cat's heart was racing.

Ivytalon's eyes narrowed dangerously, and she stalked right up to her daughter until they were standing nose to nose. "Tell me," she hissed. "Out with it already!"

Darkheart screwed up her courage at last and thrust her muzzle into her mother's face, eyes suddenly blazing, standing tall.

"I fell in love!" she meowed at last, bravely. "I fell in love, mother. There, I told you. Are you happy now?"

Ivytalon leaped back in astonishment, her eyes wide in shock. Her jaw dropped in amazement. "You- you… You- What? What!"

"I fell in love, mother. _Love_!" As she spoke, Darkheart's eyes became dreamy with her hoy and amazement.

"What- But, with a Clan cat? How?" Ivytalon was staring at her daughter incredulously.

"Oh, mother, I don't know how or why, but I do know that it is the most amazing, incredible thing in the entire universe!" Darkheart exclaimed happily. "I- I feel like I could do anything. Why, I- I could move mountains! I could fly across the sun-drown-place to whatever lies beyond, where the sun sinks. I- I feel invincible! I feel like I'm on top of the world!"

Ivytalon was glaring at Darkheart by now, but she didn't even notice.

"And mother, what's more is, I… I think he loves me too!" she yowled joyously.

"And just who," Ivytalon asked, "is this _he_?"

"Hawkfire," Darkheart meowed breezily. "His name is Hawkfire."

"No, NO, _NO_!" Ivytalon screeched. "NO!"

Darkheart shrank back in her surprise. "I- is there a problem?" Darkheart asked shyly.

"Is there a problem?" Ivytalon taunted back. "A problem? Of course there's a problem! Of all the cats in SkyClan that you could have fallen in love with, you picked the one cat in the entire Clan that is the reincarnation of Sky! Of all the cats in SkyClan, you picked the one cat that absolutely _had_ to be destroyed!"

"You don't pick and choose who you fall in love with," Darkheart defended. "And controlling your emotions is easier said than done!"

"Well that's too bad for you, because your precious Hawkfire must die!"

"No!" Darkheart wailed. "I won't let you do that! I won't let you kill him. I _love_ him!"

"You won't _let_ me? I happen to be the Queen!" Ivytalon hissed, advancing slowly towards Darkheart, who refused to back up, standing tall and brave.

"I. _Love_. Him," Darkheart snarled, punctuating each word with a pause.

"Love?" Ivytalon sneered. "What do you know about love? You are a killer, a fighter. You do not fall in love with weakling Clan cats!"

"Those weakling Clan cats are far better than you!" Darkheart hissed, glaring furiously at her mother. "And I will tell you now, I would rather _die_ than follow a sadistic, ruthless, murderer like you."

Ivytalon's eyes widened in horror. "You- how dare you!" She advanced slowly towards her daughter. "Take it back, and I will give you another chance."

"Never!" Darkheart retorted, tossing her head.

"Then your wish will be granted," Ivytalon snarled, unsheathing her claws.

"Fine then. Kill me. Go ahead! At least I'll go to StarClan and be far away from the likes of you!"

"StarClan? StarClan!" Ivytalon's eyes grew even wider in horror. "That's enough from you! Now die!"

Ivytalon lunged at Darkheart, who didn't even flinch or blink, she simply stood there, not moving at all, all her willpower going into being brave. Neither she-cat noticed the black blurr until Ivytalon had collapsed to the ground, mere inches away from a startled Darkheart who was still alive.

"Darkheart. Run. Now!" Shadowstalker yowled.

"What- Shadowpaw, how?" Darkheart gasped in shock.

"It's Shadowstalker, and I'll explain later, now go!" she hissed. "Light and Star are outside waiting for me, I'll be there in a moment. Now go! Look!" As Shadowstalker hissed at her sister, DarkClan guards were streaming into the former camp from various dens.

Darkheart hesitated a moment longer while Shadowstalker gouged a mark into Ivytalon's face and knocked her out before dashing over to her sister.

"Darkheart, I told you to _move_!" Shadowstalker snarled, shoving Darkheart roughly.

"But- _why_?" Darkheart mewed. "I tried to kill you before!"

"I overheard all that stuff you said to Ivytalon. You were obviously honest; you let her try to kill you and didn't even flinch," Shadowstalker meowed, impressed, as the two sisters darted through the tunnel and into the forest, which had mostly burned by then.

Star and Light prepared to attack, but Shadowstalker shook her head not to, and the four cats fled from the place together, not stopping until they were sure that they were safe.

"So why do we have a DarkClan cat with us?" Light questioned.

"This is my sister, Darkheart. She is one of us now," Shadowstalker replied.

But Darkheart shook her head. "No, don't you dare call me that. Darkheart is dead now. No, call me Shadowflight, my SkyClan name." She looked at her sister hopefully, praying that Shadowstalker would accept her. She had nowhere else to go now.

"Well then, Shadowflight, welcome," Shadowstalker meowed, her gaze softening. "Welcome, sister."

**There you go. This could be problematic for our characters in the future, won't it. Quite the messy situation with romances, huh? But I really enjoyed writing it because of the reconciliation with the two sisters, Shadowstalker even saving Darkheart - now Shadowflight's - life.**

**Spottedleaf: REVIEW!  
**


	7. Ch 6: Explanations

**Sorry about the wait. Anyway, here you go! Another chapter!**

**Hollyleaf: And you had all better review. I want to be famous!  
**

**Mormeril: You already are, and not just from this story.  
**

**Blackstar: It's true, Hollyleaf. You've been famous from the moment Power of Three: The Sight was released. But I've been famous longer!  
**

**Mormeril: Only because you've existed longer. Now, on with the story!  
**

Chapter 6

Explanations

"What in the name of Starra is going on?" Mist demanded the second she was set down. She might be a kit, but she had the temperament and stubbornness of a full grown rogue. "Why did you have to carry me off away from my home?"

"To keep you from getting killed," Hawkfire growled.

"By whom?" Mist demanded, fur on end.

"Shut up!" Hawkfire snarled.

Mist hissed in response, anger in her eyes.

Echoflower leapt between them. "Both of you, calm down! Fighting will get us nowhere. And Hawkfire, she's with us now. She's a part of this. She therefore has the right to know!"

"Know what?" Mist wailed. "Will somecat please tell me what's going on?"

"The Dark Forest is trying to take over the Clans. They've formed a new Clan of evil cats, DarkClan. DarkClan also hates rogues, they're likely the ones who killed your family, and chances are they've killed some of ours, too," Hopeflower explained. "They killed my mother when I was just a kit, back in the last war."

"So, it's not you Clan cats I need to worry about, it's just the really evil ones?" Mist asked, needing confirmation.

"Yes," Goldensong mewed.

"All right then," Mist meowed. Then she turned back to Goldensong. "Uhh, what's up with _you_? No offense, but you look weird."

Goldensong's tail swished slightly. "That is a long story, best saved for after we've made sure that we are safe here for a bit and have some food."

Mist tilted her head slightly, looking curious and confused, but said nothing for a moment before meowing. "I want to join you. I want to fight DarkClan."

All of the cats turned to stare at her with wide eyes.

"You?" Oakstep meowed. "But you're just a four moon old kit! You could get hurt, or worse, be killed!"

"I don't care!" Mist retorted with a toss of her head. "I'm a rogue, so I make my own choices."

"She has a point, we have no authority over her, despite what Clan cats think of rogues," Goldensong meowed to the others. "As one of MistClan, I've had the opportunity to watch the rogues before, and they have their own traditions and laws. You cannot force her to do anything, despite what you may think. If she wants to come with us, that is entirely her choice."

"Well, what if we don't want her with us?" Hawkfire asked.

"She'll probably just follow us," Goldensong replied.

"Yeah, I would!" Mist agreed. "Besides, I have valuable information about the other rogues. For example, we're on Aarynn's territory at the moment, which is highly dangerous because he hates all trespassers, even other rogues, and since you're Clan cats, he'd kill you without another thought. As another rogue, he'd let me do some explaining first, and after telling him that you dragged me along by force, he'd let me go with a mere warning scar," Mist told them cheerfully.

"So, you're saying we should leave?" Goldensong asked.

Hawkfire simply scoffed. "We could easily take on some rogue."

"Nuh-uh, not Aarynn," Mist replied, shaking her head. "He's huge, I saw him once at the one rogue gathering I got to go to. He's much bigger than any of you, with really long sharp teeth, he bit off a tree branch once just for fun, according to rumours. And his claws are so long he can't sheath them properly, and they're the sharpest claws in existence!" The she-kit looked terrified. "He once killed three foxes that attacked him at once, and a badger too!"

Boltpaw looked rather nervous at that. "Maybe we should go, then, just in case-"

"Who's on my territory?" growled a vicious sounding voice. "I'll kill ya! I swear to Starra you'll never live to see another day! I'll kill ya!"

"Let's go,' Echoflower mewed.

"Good plan," Lightningstrike agreed. The other cats agreed as well.

Hawkfire simply snorted. "Oh please, what could he possibly-"

At that moment, a huge cat that looked almost exactly like Mist had described appeared, his dark amber eyes glowing with hatred and the thirst for blood.

"Ok, time to go," Hawkfire mewed. Then the Chosen, Goldensong, and Mist all turned and ran as fast as their paws could carry them with Aarynn following close behind, roaring that he would kill them for trespassing.

**Anyway, the cats are not going to talk now, as I need to get going to a funeral. Only updating now because I won't have another chance for nearly a week and I think you've waited long enough. Review please!**


	8. Ch 7: Hummingbird

**Sorry about making you wait so long for a short chapter, because that's what this is. But really, it's more a filler than anything else. But believe me, the next chapter is much longer. Anyway, I have a job now, and I am also going to Ottawa in about a week, so I'm not sure when I will get that chapter up. Also, school starts in three weeks, so, yeah. Grade 12+Job+Drama Club+Homework=good luck getting more of this to read after school starts. Seriously. Updates will be even less frequent than they are now. I am determined to get an overall average of ninety, which I failed at this past year. Anyway, I need to get ready for work, so that's it for the author's note. It was just to give you a head's up. Now r&r!  
**

Chapter 7

Hummingbird

"Thank StarClan we're safe now!" Echoflower meowed, panting. "We are safe now, right? We aren't on some other rogue's territory?"

"Oh, now, we're still in the Rogue Forest. So we are on another rogue's territory," Mist replied, grooming a paw.

The eyes of each Clan cat widened.

"Another monstrous murderer?" Hawkfire asked nervously.

Mist mrrowed in amusement. "Oh, no, Hummingbird isn't monstrous. She's also the only cat ever to slightly tame Aarynn."

Many Clan cats shifted their paws. A cat who had slightly tamed the fiend who had chased them for many foxlengths?

Mist rolled her eyes. "Come on, now, she tamed him with her sweet gentleness; got him to be kind for a little bit. She's the sweetest cat in existence. Very kind and gentle, and a bit timid and shy. Don't be fooled by her sweet, shy nature and small size though, she's pretty feisty once provoked."

"Oh, oh, dear, what are you all doing on my territory? Did Aarynn chase you all over here?" asked a small, timid looking cat. She was a pale grey, with pale blue, sweet looking gentle eyes.

"You bet he did. Great StarClan, I thought you were just exaggerating, Mist," Hawkfire meowed, glancing at his tail. He had hesitated just long enough before running to get a few hairs clipped off by Aarynn's claws. Thankfully, the huge rogue was slow due to his massive size.

Hummingbird suddenly stiffened and took a couple of steps back. "You're Clan cats! Mist, what are you doing with them? Did they capture you? Oh dear, oh dear-"

"No, Hummingbird, I made them take me with them. They're good Clan cats, they are determined to end the slaughter of rogues that DarkClan has brought about. They will be our saviours. Kind of like Tigerflame!"

At those words, the Clan cats, Lightningstrike in particular, stiffened and looked confused, while Hummingbird looked awed and thrilled.

"Wait, how do you know about Tigerflame?" Lightningstrike asked, obviously confused and a little nervous. "He was a Clan cat."

"Clan cats and rogues have always had intertwined fates. It's just the way things are," Hummingbird explained. "And Tigerflame was very influential in our lives. In the great battle in which Starra – you Clan cats refer to her as Silverpelt, I believe – died, her brother had managed to unite rogues with Clan cats against the few cats in the Clans who wanted to change things so that only pure-blooded Clan cats could live in a Clan, and all the rogues were killed. Tigerflame is considered a great hero, as is his sister, Starra."

"Rogues acknowledge Tigerflame and Silverpelt?" Hawkfire meowed.

"Of course. We do all come from the same place. Our ancestors did all make the same journey from the lake. That is where one became three: Rogues, Clans, and Tribe," Hummingbird meowed in explanation.

The Clan cats stared at her. Mist merely looked bored at the explanation of knowledge that she appeared to already know.

"Honestly," Mist meowed. "How empty-headed are you cats? I thought everyone would know this. Don't tell me that the rogues are the only cats who know their history!"

"We do know our history: The first five leaders acknowledged that the fighting had to stop, and organized themselves into Clans depending on strengths. Swimmers formed RiverClan, cats who admired the night formed ShadowClan, the swift created WindClan, the cats who hunted in the lighter forest became ThunderClan, and the climbers founded SkyClan," Echoflower meowed.

"But you don't know your full history," Mist hissed. "How the cats around the lake left that cursed ground and travelled to the mountains. Some chose to stay, forming the Tribe, but others thought that it couldn't be their final destination, and chose to go on. Many left the journey, becoming rogues, others carried on to the Old Forest of you Clan cats. Your original home. But your ancestors, all our ancestors, originated at the lake."

"It's true," Hummingbird meowed to the astonished Clan cats. "But there is more time for that story later on. Come, you look exhausted and half-starved. You are safe here. Follow me, I'll show you where my den is."


	9. Ch 8: A History Lesson

***Edit* My appologies about the chapter title before. It should have been A History Lesson, NOT How Three Became One.  
**

**Well, here is yet another chapter for you to enjoy. One of my better ones, if I do say so myself. Hope you all agree. But you can tell me if you agree or not in the many reviews I expect.  
**

**Hopeflower: Yeah! I mean, I show tru wisdom in this chapter.  
**

**Hawkfire: And I make myself look like an idiot.  
**

**Mormeril: Now now, you two, don't go giving it all away. And speaking of giving away, Special Edition Spottedleaf plushies for all reviewers!  
**

Chapter 8

A History Lesson

They followed Hummingbird deeper into her territory. It was a pretty place, with tall poplar and birch trees, as well as lovely willows and ferns. The ThunderClan cat was clearly right at home in the deciduous woods that made the rogue's territory, despite barely remembering it, having been a kit at the time he was forced to leave, forcing the others to think the deciduous woodland was in his blood, while the ShadowClan cats were filled with longing for their coniferous homeland, the WindClan cats missed their moors, and the RiverClan, his rivers and streams. Hawkfire of SkyClan also seemed a bit comfortable, although he was clearly not used to the trees being so thick, more used to them being sparse.

However, each cat had to admit it was a beautiful place, despite any discomforts.

It wasn't long until they arrived at Hummingbird's den. It was a hole in the ground at first glance, burrowed beneath a tangle of tree roots. As they entered, reluctantly, they soon discovered it was actually nice.

Entwined roots formed the walls of the entrance, and, further down, they discovered that it was a long buried series of caverns, complete with one room containing plenty of soft, fragrant moss and an underground waterfall with the clear, clean pool at its base.

"You need this much space for just one cat?" asked Hawkfire dubiously. He seemed confused by the fact that there was just her, and this much space.

"I get a lot of visitors," Hummingbird explained. "Other cats who need a place to stay, young cats who have yet to find their own territories, mostly, but recently others who have lost their homes because of DarkClan. All the rogues in this area know of me, and know that I never turn away a cat in need. Also, my mother had many kits. But as I was the oldest, I was the one who inherited her territory."

"Oh," was the only reply Hawkfire had. He was fascinated. He had always thought that rogues were bloodthirsty, non-caring creatures, but they had an entire, organized society. Each had a piece of territory, and the eldest inherited it. What else was there that he didn't know about them?

"Now, you wanted to know about the One that became Three?" Hummingbird asked.

"Yes, what does that mean?" Moonshine meowed, tilting her head in obviously confusion. "How did one become three?"

"It was long ago, many, many season cycles ago," Hummingbird began, closing her eyes. "Long before the time of the mother of my mother's mother."

There was another thing that Hawkfire had discovered. They spoke about their mother's mother. Just what kind of society did the rogues have?

"There was one group of cats, a large group of them, who lived around the Cursed Lake-"

"The Cursed Lake? Is that the same lake we live by?" asked Echoflower.

"Yes, the very same lake," Hummingbird replied. "These cats were all independent, yet, at the same time, helped each other. A mixture of rogues and Clan cats. Then, one day, things became difficult for them, more difficult than ever, and they chose to leave. They went to the mountains, where they became the Tribe of Rushing Water."

"However, that is not where the story ends. Life in the mountains was disliked by some of the cats of the next generation or so. Some chose to stay, but others chose to leave. Those who left had some disagreements." Here, Hummingbird paused, her gaze flickering from Mist to the Clan cats, and back again.

"Some wanted to go on, believing that they had not yet found the land they were meant to seek, others wished to go back to the land of their ancestors, and try to live a more solitary life than ever. Those who went on became the Clans, and those who returned became rogues."

"So One became Three," Hopeflower meowed softly. "But why is the lake called the Cursed Lake?"

Hummingbird squeezed her eyes shut. "Terrible things happened to those who stayed to live by the lake. They were killed by some of their own ancestors, dark, shadowy cats who were long dead. Cats who said that they were from the 'Dark Forest'. But there were prophecies about cats who would rise to defeat the Dark Forest. Old prophecies from back when Three were still One. First, a prophecy about the Three, a group of cats that would be descended from a cat who had chosen to go onward, whose name was Flame Wing. Another about other cats, who would one day be known as the Chosen. That prophecy was lesser known than the one about the Three, though." Hummingbird opened her eyes again, and they were full of fear. "Terrible things happen to all cats who try to live by that lake. The rogues know this, and, because of it, we avoid it."

"That makes no sense though," Boltpaw meowed. "How can a _lake_ be cursed?"

"How can a cat be reborn?" Mist replied, shooting him an annoyed look. "You were all reborn, even though that makes no sense. So why can't a lake be cursed? Every time cats try to live by it, terrible things happen to them. That's just the way things are."

"But that's completely different!" Boltpaw protested. "StarClan chose us to be reborn!"

"I don't see how that's any different," Mist replied. "StarClan, curses, neither makes complete sense, but both are true, even if StarClan is different for us than it is for you," Mist meowed, tilting her head.

"You're wrong, they are completely different things. Curses don't exist, they make no sense," Boltpaw insisted.

"But they do!" Mist hissed. "Oh, Hummingbird, this is pointless! It's like trying to explain life to a rock!"

Hummingbird shrugged. "You can't fill a hole already filled with water without expecting it to overflow."

The Clan cats stared at Hummingbird as if she'd grown a second head, while Mist simply nodded, understanding, still clearly irritated.

"Rogues make no sense," Moonshine whispered to Hopeflower, who nodded in agreement.

"I agree, but we might be able to learn a lot from them," Lightningstrike meowed quietly to them.

"You show true wisdom in saying that," Goldensong meowed quietly to Lightningstrike. "Just like the original Tigerflame."

At that, Lightningstrike looked at her in surprise.

"We would do well to stay here," Goldensong mewed to the Clan cats. "There is much that we can learn from them, and it is safe here, far from the reach of the Dark Forest and DarkClan. But the final decision is up to you."

"Goldensong is probably right," Hopeflower mewed softly. "And when has she ever lied to us? StarClan sent her to us, to help us."

"It's true, she is definitely trustworthy," Echoflower agreed; Lightningstrike, Oakstep, Moonshine, and Rosepetal all nodded.

Boltpaw looked down at his paws; as an apprentice, he didn't quite feel like he belonged in that group yet, while Hawkfire glanced at Goldensong, not looking like he completely trusted her.

"Hawkfire, why do you have a problem with her?" Hopeflower asked him softly.

Hawkfire just shrugged. "I don't know, it's hard to explain," he muttered. "But if you all trust her, then fine."

"What about you, Boltpaw?" asked Echoflower.

"Oh, me, uh, yeah, we should stay here," he mewed quietly.

"Then it's decided," meowed Echoflower, turning to face Hummingbird and Mist. "Hummingbird, would it be all right if we stayed for a while?"

"Oh, yes, of course," Hummingbird meowed. "Mist has just been telling me about you. Are you really the Chosen?

"Yes," Hawkfire meowed.

Hummingbird looked thrilled. "Then yes, yes, by all means, do stay as long as you want and need! You will help us all, save us all! How could I ever turn you away?" she meowed, joy in her voice.

"Wow, the rogues sure seem to love us," Hopeflower whispered to Moonshine, who nodded.

"Thank you for your kindness," Goldensong meowed, bowing her pale, nearly transparent head, causing that area of her body to turn temporarily to mist.

Hummingbird's eyes widened. "You- you're one of them!" she meowed in shock.

Mist looked slightly confused at Hummingbird's words for the first time, and then seemed to remember. "Right, you haven't explained that to me yet!" she meowed to Goldensong.

"What do you mean by 'one of them'?" asked Oakstep.

"One of the Lost Ones, who never went to join Starra, or, if they were evil, never went to the Dark Forest. For you, instead of Starra, it's StarClan," Hummingbird explained.

"I'm sorry, Hummingbird, but for once you are slightly wrong," Goldensong meowed softly, ducking her head and turning it away from the rogues, obviously embarrassed at having been put on the spot. "My mother was expecting me when she died, and she was one of the first Lost Ones. I was born like this."

Hummingbird gazed at her sympathetically. "So you've never been truly alive?"

"No, I have never truly been alive. I eat and drink, like mortal cats, but I can never die. Believe me, I once tried to escape this life by starving myself and denying myself water for three entire months, but I just got really sick," Goldensong meowed bitterly. "For the past one thousand five hundred and some season cycles, I've been 'alive'. But I wish I weren't. This is no life, just a prison." She lashed her tail furiously. "I hate this half-life."

Hawkfire looked at her, stunned, and instantly regretted his words to her before, when they had first left the Clans. He had never guessed that she hated her life and wished she were dead. Did she really consider her life a mere prison?

He now looked at her through knew eyes, and for the first time, really saw her, for who she really was. A cat that was in just as much pain as he was. He vowed that from then on, he would be kinder to her. He would never misjudge her again. In fact, he would never misjudge anyone again. He would be less prejudiced from that moment on, he promised that. There was no way that he would ever, _ever_ make the mistake of thinking less of some other cat for a stupid reason.

From that day forward, he vowed that he would be the kind of tom that Goldensong deserved- wait, where had _that_ thought come from? Why should he care about being the kind of cat that Goldensong deserved? He didn't love her, he had no special, secret, hidden feelings for her. As if he ever would!

"Hey, Hawkfire, are you all right?" asked Hopeflower suddenly, prodding his side with a paw.

He shook his head slightly. "Oh, I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"Because you've been staring at Goldensong with a far-off look on your face for a while now," Hopeflower replied. "Come on, Hummingbird is going to show us where we can stay while we're here."

"Oh, all right," he meowed, glancing at Goldensong again.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Hopeflower asked again.

"Yes, I'm sure, no need to worry about me," Hawkfire meowed, nodding his head. "I'm perfectly fine." He then proceeded to follow Hopeflower, returning to his thoughts.

_Well, I'm mostly fine. I will feel even better once I know why I suddenly want to impress Goldensong so much. There is no way I feel that way about her. I just can't!_

_Sure you can't,_ said another voice in his head. _There is a wild sort of beauty about her; you have to agree, despite the fact that she is relatively misty-furred. Her eyes are so- so-_

_No! What are you thinking? It's _Goldensong_, a half-cat. She means nothing to me, NOTHING._

"Hawkfire, are you all right?" meowed an all-too familiar voice. He groaned inwardly as he recognised it as that of the cat who had just been consuming his thoughts.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine Goldensong," he meowed curtly, and a little harshly, making her flinch.

"Oh, all right, I- I was just wondering," she meowed, turning away from him. "I'm going hunting."

"No, Goldensong, wait-" he began, but she was already gone.

Hopeflower was staring at him. "I know how you feel," she sympathized, licking his ear. "Unrequited love hurts."

"It's not love," Hawkfire meowed strongly, taking a few paces forward, away from Hopeflower's comforting words. "It can't be."

"It is, I can see it. And it's not unrequited, she feels the same way, I know she does. But if you keep speaking so harshly to her, you'll only drive her away, and cause more pain, both to her and to yourself," Hopeflower meowed, stepping closer to look him strongly in the eye.

"How would you know?" Hawkfire meowed furiously, turning away from her.

"Because, I have loved before," Hopeflower replied.

"Really?" Hawkfire questioned. "Well, that clearly didn't work out so well since you're still single."

"But only by choice," Hopeflower mewed sharply. "He loved my sister, Moonshine, and she loved him back. I chose to stay out of it, and let them be together. It hurt, and it still does. I keep thinking that maybe, if I had said something, done things differently, then maybe I would have…" Her voice trailed off, and Hawkfire saw her as if for the first time.

She had changed while speaking. She was no longer the strong, hope-filled, fiery young she-cat he had come to know. Instead, she looked defeated and dejected.

"Love hurts," she mewed softly. "It hurts a lot, but at the same time, if you have love, you are stronger. That is what differentiates us from DarkClan. They don't know love. Love gives us hope. Learn to see that, Hawkfire. You have to let yourself love."

**Review and you get a Special Edition Spottedleaf plushie.**


	10. Ch 9: Ashfire, or Long Live YF Rhapsody

**Here are your Special Edition plushies, my faithful reviewers! *throws plushies*  
**

**Sorry that this chapter is so short, but I just got back from Ottawa, and wanted to post ASAP.  
**

**Hollyleaf: Yeah, thanks for abandoning us for your silly church thing.  
**

**Mormeril: Hey! I had the best time of my life, and met fantastic people! And I will have you know that the United Church of Canada means the world to me! And the 41st General Council was a historic event! We changed our crest, elected the world's first openly gay head of a church, and did so many cool things, such as pass a motion on what the church's view on Israel and Palestine will be, and got dissed by Harper, I believe. Yup. Politicians told us to keep our noses out of politics and stick to our knitting. So we, comissioners and Youth Forum members alike, knitted up a storm :)  
**

**Hopeflower: Sounds like fun!  
**

**Mormeril: It was. Oh, and the Youth Forum Flash Mob on Parliament Hill was super fun, and LONG LIVE YOUTH FORUM RHAPSODY!  
**

Chapter 9

Ashfire

The moon was bright that night, a large, round, full orb of shining silver in the starlit midnight sky. A single cat, a handsome, dark gray tom, sat alone at the edge of the cliff, staring at it.

"Moonshine," Ashfire murmured as he gazed up at the moon from his lonesome place atop the cliff. "Wherever you are, please be all right. I need you to be all right."

"Why are you talking to yourself?" Ashfire turned his head to see Flightwing, a ThunderClan she cat, one of Firestar's last litter, standing behind him.

"Oh, uh, I was just thinking about Moonshine," he meowed, embarrassed.

"Oh." Flightwing's long, silvery tail flicked slightly. "You really care about her, don't you?"

"Yeah," he replied. "She means everything to me."

Flightwing purred. "I'm sure that she's fine. She was gone already when DarkClan attacked us, so she must have escaped the slaughter."

Ashfire glanced at her, realizing that the ThunderClan she-cat was right. "I suppose. But do you think that I will ever see her again?"

"Of course you will," Flightwing meowed firmly. "She will come back. All the cats who vanished will come back."

"How can you be sure?" Ashfire questioned.

"Because I have faith," Flightwing replied quietly. "Faith that they will return."

Ashfire stared at her for a moment, trying to understand how she could be so certain just because of her faith. It didn't make sense to him. Sure, faith made sense as far as StarClan was concerned, and besides, StarClan had fought beside his parents in the last war. But relying on faith to know that cats who were missing and possibly dead would return? That part made no sense to him.

"How can you be so certain just because of faith?" Ashfire asked, amazed.

Flightwing sighed. "Those of you born after the Dark Forest War know so little of faith. You are more certain because of actual proof, whereas those of us born before are used to relying on faith for certainty. Things are changing for all of us now. Cats now believe in StarClan not because of faith, but because there is proof, true, physical proof, whereas before it was all just faith, and taking the word of leaders and medicine cats who had seen them in dreams. But now there is physical proof for us all, and faith isn't really all that necessary."

Ashfire stared at her and tilted his head. What she was saying was true, he realized, every last word. Faith was less a part of their lives than it had been before, now that there was physical proof of StarClan's existence, so they weren't used to relying on faith for things to be true. What would that mean for future generations? What would become of the Clans if they lost their need for faith entirely? Was lack of faith why Moonshine, Rosepetal, and Hopeflower left, along with other cats from other Clans?

"You must learn to have faith, Ashfire," Flightwing meowed softly. "Without faith, life is empty, lonely, painful, frightening. Faith makes everything better. Have faith."

Ashfire wandered through the forest just below the cliff in which the rebellion and the Clan cats were camping. He was trying to hunt, but his thoughts kept drifting back to his earlier conversation with Flightwing about faith.

She was right, everything was changing. The newer generations were able to rely less on faith because StarClan had revealed themselves fully to their parents. Because of this, faith was less important, not as needed. Things were far different than they had been in the past now, different from the glory days of the clans, back in the Old Forest that they so often heard of.

He gazed up at the moon and stars, shining brightly overhead. What if, someday, the lack of faith led to the loss of belief, if cats grew less and less reliant on faith, and saw no evidence of StarClan? Would StarClan then vanish? What would become of the Clans?

He shook his head. There were too many things to think about.

His thoughts then drifted back to Moonshine. Where was she? What was she doing? Did she miss him? And, finally, did she feel the same was that he did? Did she love him as much as he loved her? He had never found out before she had left. He had wanted to tell her his true feelings the night she had disappeared, the night that everything had changed. And now he truly, deeply regretted it, now that she was gone. He regretted not telling her that he loved her more than anything, that she was his whole world, everything to him.

_And now I might never get another chance,_ he thought, shutting his eyes.

No, Flightwing was right. He had to have faith. Faith that she would return to him, to ShadowClan. And the moment that she did, he would tell her everything that was in his heart. He would tell her that he loved her, and always would.

**Blackstar: AMEND THIS MOTION ONE MORE TIME I'LL SCREAM!**

**Mormeril: I'LL SCREAM! I'LL SCREEAM!  
**

**Hollyleaf: You just had to teach him Youth Forum Rhapsody, didn't you?  
**

**Mormeril and Blackstar: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN COME IN HERE AND ROCK OUT THIS GYM? SO YOU THINK YOU CAN SING THAT IN HERE 'STEAD OF HYMNS?  
**

**Hollyleaf: Why did Featherpaw have to steal my sledgehammer in Faithblossom's response to Mormeril's review to that fanfic? Review, please -_-  
**


	11. Ch 10: The Insanity of Ivytalon

**Well, I'm back, and it's official: Ivytalon is completely deranged. Enjoy!  
**

**Sealwhisker: Review and you get a Deranged Ivytalon plushie!  
**

Chapter 10

The Insanity of Ivytalon

Blood. That was all she saw in her dreams those days. Blood. Bright, red, metallic-tasting, sharp smelling blood. Thick, sticky, oozing. The scent filled her nose, the taste caught in her throat. It was always there. It was all that there was. Blood. Nothing but blood.

Blood was her entire world now. Her favourite chamber in the series of caves in which DarkClan lived was the room from which she gave all her orders, which was stained with splatters of blood. It had become her favourite colour.

Ivytalon had transformed greatly from Ivypaw, the young apprentice she had been before the last war. Before, she had been a lovely pale tabby with a keen mind a lust for greatness. But now, she was twisted. Her mind was nothing but a whirlwind of plans for death and destruction, and her heart was now fragile from the lack of love.

Those weren't the only changes that had overcome her. She was now as twisted on the outside as she was on the inside. Her once lovely pelt hadn't been properly groomed in moons, only slight licks now and then in a futile attempt to keep herself looking somewhat decent. The fur now stood raggedly on end and was matted, where there was still hair, for she was now covered in scars from various battles. Her lovely paws had lost their whiteness, and were stained a rusty red-brown colour, the colour of dried blood.

Her eyes still had their gleam, but it was no longer a gleam of hope, but a gleam of malice. She was nothing but a shell of her former self, a shell filled with the darkness and hatred of the Dark Forest. She had succumbed to them fully now.

Ivytalon, Queen of All, had become the Queen of Insanity.

"Mother?" asked the voice of a young she-cat. The voice was beautiful, lofty and breezy, and the tone contained obvious reverence.

"Acacialeaf, about time you showed up," Ivytalon snarled, making the small she-cat flinch.

Acacialeaf was a she-cat from Ivytalon's third litter, and the last one living. The other four had failed the test, as the rogues had escaped, leading to their deaths at the paws of their own mother. Acacialeaf, however, had succeeded in killing her rogue. A situation that, thankfully Ivytalon did not know, was purely accidental. Her claws had been unsheathed, she'd been terrified, and as she had whirled around, about to refuse, the claws had slit the rogue's throat. She wished desperately that it hadn't happened, but it had, and she regretted it every moment.

The young she-cat was quite small in build, and had a long, silvery tail. She had faint white tabby markings on her silver pelt, and her eyes were a curious green. And, unfortunately, she was a complete airhead.

If Ivytalon had been at all in her right mind, she would not have chosen her airheaded, bumbling fool of a daughter for the mission she was about to send her on. She would truly have picked any other cat. But, of course, she was by that point completely insane, so she felt the utmost confidence in Acacialeaf.

"As Darkheart has deserted us for 'love'," she sneered as she spoke that last word, "the task must fall to you to spy on the clans."

"Me?" Acacialeaf tilted her head, confused. "I'm spying? What does that mean? What am I supposed to do?"

"You infiltrate their camp and tell us what they are planning," Ivytalon explained, lashing her tail.

"Infiltrate? Is that a fancy word for spyi-"

"Just do it!" Ivytalon shrieked, leaping down and swatting at Acacialeaf's nose with unsheathed claws. She tiny she-cat simply blinked, her eyes bright, then trotted off happily, tail in the air.

Ivytalon watched as she left, grumbling to herself as she stalked back to the rock that she was fond of sitting on.

After several long moments of silence and being alone there, she heard an all-too familiar voice.

"Enjoying your life of insanity, mother?" The last word of the statement was a sneer, and Ivytalon began turning furiously, looking everywhere for the source of the voice.

"Mother. What a joke. You call yourself our mother, yet you banish us and loathe us. You treat us as you would any other cat in DarkClan. Terribly."

"Where are you, Shadowpaw? Where are you hiding?" she hissed.

"I'm right here, mother dear, right in front of you."

Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the beautiful, scarred black she-cat standing before her. Shrieking furiously, she lunged at her, claws unsheathed, and collapsed after falling through nothing. "How did you do that?" Ivytalon snarled furiously.

"Do what? I'm right here," Shadowpaw replied.

"No! You were there! I attacked you, though, and you vanished!"

"Oh dear, seeing things now are we? I guess you truly are insane…"

"No! No! _No!_" Ivytalon screeched furiously as Shadowpaw began to fade, but no one was there to listen or care.

**And thus ends our trip into the mind of a sociopath. I think. Didn't do my research for this, other than seeing what Ivypaw's appearance was. Then I made her sound as coo-coo as I could.**** Oh well. Review.  
**

**Sealwhisker: All reviewers get Deranged Ivytalon plushies!  
**


	12. Ch 11: Hopeflower's Thoughts

**Here you go, silverwind1313, WildCroconaw, xXFaithblossomXx, your Deranged Ivytalon plushies, as promised. Wow, two chapters in as many days! Granted, they are short, but oh well, better than nothign, right? I don't know, you tell me in my reviews. Anyway, I'm on a roll! And a good thing, too, since I've started grade 12, have a job, and am very exhausted. My updates will be very spontaneous from now on, and, more likely than not, irregular.  
**

**Hopeflower: More first person! Yay!  
**

**Mormeril: Well, off topic, yet relevant.  
**

**Hollyleaf: Whatever! Just get on with the chapter!  
**

**Mormeril: Hummingbird plushies to reviewers!  
**

Chapter 11

Hopeflower's Thoughts

It was night, the sky was a fine midnight blue, a blue so dark that it was nearly black, shot through with the silver of stars. I slipped silently out of Hummingbird's home, longing to be out of the cave and free beneath the stars of Silverpelt, breathing in the sweet, cool night air. I loved the night. It always helped me think.

And that night, there was much for me to think about. But not the things that were right to think about in such times as this. No, I was thinking about _love_ of all things. Certainly such emotions should be waiting until after the war, but no, I couldn't stop thinking about it. So I had decided that that night, I would slip outside and think.

I had moved on from Ashfire, thankfully, but now I was once again stuck on a tom I could never be with. Hawkfire, of all cats. When he clearly belonged with Goldensong. Not to mention, he was arrogant, hot-tempered, and very annoying.

Why I was falling for him was entirely beyond me, but I had already more or less told him that he should be with Goldensong. Just like before, with Ashfire, Hawkfire loved someone else. And she loved him too.

Why did I have to keep falling for toms I could never be with? Why? Was I meant to remain alone for all of eternity? Or was I just being an overly-dramatic foolish young she-cat? I sighed and flopped to the ground, lying there, gazing at a small pool of water that lay before my paws.

"Why is everything so complicated?" I murmured sadly.

Ever since I had learned of the prophecy that I was part of, nothing made sense any more. I never knew what to do. The others thought I did, but really, I didn't. I kept rambling about a hope that I barely had myself, to the point where the other Chosen probably had more hope than I did. What was I, really, other than practically useless as far as the prophecy was concerned? I may as well have been an ordinary warrior.

"StarClan made a mistake," I growled, standing. I gazed down at my reflection. It was nothing but a pretty face. It didn't show the real me, the weak me, the me I really was inside. "I'm nothing!" Furious, I splashed the water, shattering my reflection into a million fragments.

"That's not true."

Stunned, I whirled around to find Hawkfire standing behind me. For some unexplained reason, I felt mad at him all of a sudden. He was part of the reason I felt so lost and confused. He was the reason my heart was aching now. It was his fault I was upset.

"Shut up! What do you know about me anyway?" I spat, furious.

He blinked, clearly confused. "Well, I know that you are the Flower of Hope, as StarClan calls you, the reincarnation of Shiningleaf-"

"You're just repeating the prophecy now!" I yowled at him angrily, stalking forward until we were nose to nose, my eyes blazing with fury, his shining with shock and, surprisingly, fear. For some reason, I felt a spark of pride that I had made him afraid. He deserved it. "You obviously know nothing about me, or who I am, or how I- how I feel." At those last words, I felt my voice start to break, and it was audible. I turned away, ashamed that I was letting my pain and sorrow show. I hated when other cats saw me upset.

"You know nothing about me. You probably don't even care," I murmured.

There was silence for several long moments, then he spoke.

"You're right. I don't know, and I never used to care. But I do now, and I want to learn," he meowed, padding over to me and resting his tail on my shoulder.

I turned my head to look at him. "Really?" I mewed questioningly, pleased and surprised.

"Of course. I mean, we're travelling together, and we are part of the same prophecy. And you gave me advice about Goldensong," he replied. "That makes us friends, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Friends, definitely," I meowed quickly and halfheartedly, but thankfully he didn't notice my tone. Instead he just looked thrilled.

"Great, I'm glad we're friends. Now come on Hopeflower, let's go back," he meowed before turning to head back to Hummingbird's caves.

I hesitated a moment, uncertain, and he turned to look at me. "Are you coming or what?" he called cheerfully.

"Oh, yeah, I'm coming," I meowed, standing and turning to follow. "I just wish you felt the same way I do," I whispered as he turned away, so softly that the words were little more than a breath.

**There you g! Your newest chapter to review. And all reviewers get Hummingbird plushies!**

**Hollyleaf: Now review! On pain of sledgehammer- wait, that annoying apprentice Featherpaw from xXFaithblossomXx's fanfiction still has it. Curse you, Featherpaw! *starts yowling about killing Featherpaw*  
**

**Mormeril: Keep that up and I will lock you in a closet.  
**

**Hollyleaf: Do I look like I care?  
**

**Mormeril: Uhhhhh...  
**

**Hollyleaf: That's what I thought. Mwahahah!  
**

**Spottedleaf: *pops out of nowhere* REVIEW!  
**


	13. Ch 12: Carnage in the Night, or TWITTER!

**I would like to thank Starstar for the awesome reviews. Made my day. Many times. Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Yes, I know its October. No, I am not American. I am a proud Canadian. Eh.**

Chapter 12

Carnage in the Night

The Clan cats and rogues were all fast asleep in the caverns outside of Clan territory. Only a few stayed awake. Those who slept were at peace. Those who stayed awake were alert, ready and waiting in case there was an attack.

"Do you think anything will happen tonight?" asked Flightwing, turning to Star.

"I doubt it. We'd surely have heard something by now. It's quiet," Star meowed.

"Too quiet," Shadowflight put in, stepping forward.

Star and Light turned to face the she-cat. Light blinked, curious, and Star tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly.

"How?" he meowed.

"You should know, you're a rogue. Listen," she meowed. All four cats fell perfectly silent.

There was nothing. Not a cricket or frog. A lone owl hooted, but it was a long ways off. Only the wind in the trees made a sound.

"Nothing, save for that distant owl," Star meowed.

"Exactly. And it sounded like something had scared it," Shadowflight replied.

"Scared it? What would scare an owl?" Flightwing asked.

"My mother," Shadowflight replied grimly. "I once watched her clime up a tree into an owl's nest and kill the owlets. The parents tried to fight her off, but she killed the mother. The father was furious, but then she snapped his wings and he fell to the ground. She refused to let us kill him, but kept us there watching for days until the male finally died. I'm sure that other owls know that story by now; she's done similar to many owls. And I know of three occasions she's brought me along that I've seen other owls watching in horror."

"She killed an owl?" Light gasped.

"Several of them," Shadowflight replied.

"It's true," came a churring voice. All four cats turned their heads to see a shining white face staring at them. "We don't call that feline curse Owl-Killer for nothing."

"How- how are you talking to us?" Star gasped.

"I assume you've heard of Midnight the badger," the barn own replied from where she perched on the boulder. "The Owl-Killer killed my parents. Knocked me out of Roost. Luckily Midnight the badger was nearby, and she took me in, saving my life. That is how I learned your odd cat-talk. Barely. Doesn't flow well from beak."

The cats had their eyes narrowed as they deciphered the owl's attempt at their tongue. It was true. The young owl's beak found it difficult to imitate the vocal sounds of cats.

"Why are you here?" Flightwing questioned.

"Came to warn you. Great danger! Owl-Killer is coming with great army. Will kill you all! That is plan, at least."

"Ivytalon is coming to kill us?" Shadowflight meowed in horror.

The owl hooted, and nodded. "Be here soon!"

"Thank you for warning us," Shadowflight meowed. Light's fur was on end.

"What is your name?" Flightwing asked.

"Hoorah!" she churred, slipping into the owl dialect that was somewhat harder for the cats to comprehend.

"Hooruh?" Star meowed, tilting his head.

"No, Hoorah! Ah!" she replied, rustling her wings, beady black eyes glittering with amusement. "Kurr," she clucked.

"Ker? What's that?" Light asked, puzzled.

"Owl insult!" Hoorah replied. "Must fly! Be wary, cat-folk. Much danger awaits you tonight." Then the owl opened her wings and soared into the sky, vanishing into the night.

Shadowflight stared after Hoorah, amazed at what had happened.

Star, however, snapped into action. "Flightwing, warn the other clan-cats, Light, rouse the rogues. Shadowflight, you and I will keep a lookout. How many do you think there will be?"

"Probably many. Far more than our numbers are. DarkClan grew in numbers quickly. She-cats were expected to have kits as soon after their 12th moon as possible," Shadowflight replied. "And the training was vicious. They are killers, every one. Save for poor Acacialeaf, a she-cat from my mother's last litter."

"Why not her? Is she like Shadowstalker?" Star asked as Light and Flightwing streaked away.

Shadowflight snorted. "Anything but! By that point Ivytalon was completely insane! Acacialeaf, poor thing, is a brainless oaf! If you told her that there was such a thing as blue and purple polka dotted flying squirrel she'd believe it in a heartbeat."

Star looked shocked. "But you and Shadowstalker are so intelligent! How can this she-cat be your younger sister?"

"Ivytalon raised us carefully, but by the time Acacialeaf was born, she'd lost her mind entirely. She wasn't fit to teach kits anything. The other she-cats tried, but Ivytalon feared that they would harm her kits, and kept them away from her kits as much as possible. She was too paranoid to educate them properly. But enough of that, we must watch out for attackers," Shadowflight meowed.

Star's ears twitched at hearing about how Ivytalon had raised her last litter. So. DarkClan's mighty leader was a mad-cat. He wasn't sure if that made it better or worse for them. He didn't have much time to think about it though, as Shadowfligth let out an ear-piercing yowl. "They're here!"

The DarkClan cats had masked their scent in mud before travelling to the refuge, and had travelled silently and carefully in the shadows, so they hadn't noticed them until it was almost too late. Their army was vast, over a hundred cats, outnumbering the rogues and Clan cats nearly three to one.

The rogues and clan-cats shot out of the caves to help Star and Shadowflight, but DarkClan was too strong. There were too many.

Blood spattered the ground, and cats fell dead and injured to the rocky ground. Screams of pain and horror and despair mingled with those of fury and triumph in the air, and the scent of blood rose as the rain began to fall. The carnage finally ended with the sunrise, as DarkClan left, and the survivors lay on the ground amongst the dead.

It was a night of horrors, nothing more, nothing less.

**Well, new character, unknown casualties, and, more importantly, and update! Hope you enjoy it. Sorry the ending is bad, just wanted it over with. Also, I'm now on Twitter. It's a fanfiction-only account, so you'll get lots of updates on how the chapters are progressing there if you're interested. /mormeril123**

**Hollyleaf: And yet you say you have a social life.  
**

**Mormeril: I do. I also have an internet life. I am two people: Normal Teenage girl, and Mormeril, the Dark Lady of Insanity. There is nothing wrong with living two lives.  
**

**Hollyleaf: Sure...  
**


	14. Ch 13: The Truth

**Thank you for the reviews! And once again, Starstar, awesome review. Your reviews always add humour to my otherwise rather dull life.**

**Hollyleaf: With your friends, how is life dull?**

**Mormeril: I dunno, you get used to them and their pure insanity after a while. By the way, big announcement in the author's note at the end of the chapter!**

Chapter 13

The Truth

Bright green eyes watched as the tabby tom sat alone, staring up at the night sky. The owner of the eyes could tell that he was upset by something. The pale golden she-cat sighed before slipping silently towards him.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

The tom whipped around, startled. "Goldensong!" he meowed, shocked. "I didn't know you were there."

Goldensong ducked her head, glancing away from him. "I'm sorry, Hawkfire. That's a bit of a problem of mine. It comes with being, well, one of my kind."

"I hate the way you say that," Hawkfire meowed. "Your kind. You're still a cat, just like the rest of us."

"Barely," Goldensong meowed bitterly. "I'm not living, nor am I dead. I just… am."

Hawkfire's gaze softened as he looked at her. "I hate seeing you suffer," he mewed softly.

"Since when?" Goldensong retorted. "You've done little else since this journey started. You blame me for having to leave the lake. You accuse me of not understanding how you all feel. You frequently antagonize me-"

"And that's wrong of me," Hawkfire finished for her, cutting her off, and stepping towards her.

She raised her head to stare at him, surprised by his sudden kindness. He was no longer the angry tom she had known recently, but the tom she had known long ago. The Sky she had fallen in love with.

She shook her head. "I asked you a question earlier that you never answered," she meowed, turning back to the original subject.

"Oh, right, if something was wrong," Hawkfire meowed. Whatever had passed in that moment, it was gone again now.

"Well, is there?" she mewed softly, gazing at him.

"No. Yes, I don't know," he muttered.

Goldensong stepped forward to sit beside him. "You can tell me anything, I won't judge you," she promised.

"Thank you," Hawkfire meowed. "Well, there's this she-cat. She's beautiful, amazing, perfect in every way-"

"It's Hopeflower, isn't it," Goldensong meowed, a thin note of sorrow in her voice.

"No! It's not her, she's great, really great, but she's just a friend. I meant-" he cut himself off, Goldensong's hopes rising again.

He sighed, and took a deep breath before confessing. "I meant you," he finished softly.

Goldensong felt her heart leap with joy as she purred. "I feel the same way about you," she replied, her voice equally soft. "I always have."

"Really?" he meowed.

She nodded. "You have no idea how long I've waited for you," she mewed.

Hawkfire blinked in confusion.

"You aren't the first reincarnation of Sky," she meowed softly. "There was another, very long ago. A thousand season cycles by now." She shut her eyes.

"You loved him," Hawkfire meowed slowly.

She nodded, eyes still shut. "You're exactly like him. The exact same cat. When he died, he promised me we would see each other again. That was when I attempted to end this, this, this whatever it is. But when that didn't work, I waited. And now you've come back." She gazed up at him, and was relieved when she saw the understanding in his eyes, rather than confusion.

"I- I had no idea," he meowed. "But that explains a lot, like how I always felt like I knew you when we could never have met before."

"I'm sorry. It's a lot of information to handle all at once," Goldensong meowed apologetically. "I should have waited to tell you that."

"No, don't be sorry," Hawkfire replied immediately. "I'm glad to know. It means that this is meant to be."

"You really think so?" Goldensong mewed.

"I know so," Hawkfire promised, pressing against her side, their pelts brushing. "I love you."

"I love you too," Goldensong purred.

Hopeflower sighed and turned away from where she had been watching in the shadows. _He was never mine to lose. Why regret what cannot be?_

She felt like her heart was breaking yet again. But why should she feel so much pain over Hawkfire? Hadn't she learned by now what came from love every time she felt it? Either she turned away and let some other she-cat have the tom, or she was just being played by a member of DarkClan.

She began to tremble as she walked away hearing them confess their love to each other. _These are words he'll never say. Not to me. Not for me._

_His heart is full of love for Goldensong. He will never feel this way about me._

**Yeah, I know, it sounds like Les Miserables. In particular, the scene "A Heart Full of Love", which I borrowed lines from. Hopeflower's thoughts are identical to the lines Eponine sings. So I may as well admit that Les Mis is my new bit of inspiration for this story. I'm pulling inspiration from everywhere. My own feelings, LOTR, Warriors (DUH!), and now Les Mis. Who knows what will be next?**

**Hollyleaf: Well, today you watched Moulin Rouge and Rock of Ages with your friends. Maybe those?**

**Mormeril: I doubt it.**

**Blackstar: Phantom of the Opera?**

**Mormeril: Maybe. It is epic. But enough of that. Reviewers get a GoldensongXHawkfire plushie set! Also, there will be a teaser trailer on youtube soon for Rising Night 5, revealing the title! This announcement was put up on twitter around 1:40 this afternoon, btw. As I said before, Twitter is my easiest way of alerting you what's going on with that stuff!**


	15. Ch 14: Aftermath

**I appologise about this chapter. I know it's ridiculously short, but I had no inspiration and just really wanted to update**!

Chapter 14

Aftermath

Wails were the only sound the survivors of the midnight massacre made. More than half were dead. The rogues, who were used to the terrain, had all lived, but many of the Clan cats were killed.

"This is terrible," Light mewed.

"I know," Flightwing meowed softly. "So many dead. Less than one clan's worth of cats left alive. The clans are destroyed. There are too few of us left."

Light looked at her friend sympathetically. "I am sorry," she meowed softly. "I wish things had been different."

Ashfire stepped over to them, limping slightly. "Do you think that the others will ever come back?" he asked. "Do you think Moonshine, Hopeflower, and the rest of them will live and return?"

"We can only hope," Flightwing replied softly. "They are our only hope now. We will never survive without their help."

**Sorry it's so short, I have zero inspiration at the moment and just really wanted to update. I'd probably be able to write better if I wasn't so distracted by my throat. Yeah, I got swollen glands around my throat this week. It's rather annoying. I'm on antibiotics and getting better. Been four days since the issue started. Next chapter will be longer, I swear!**


	16. Ch 15: The Will to Go On

**Edit: I appologise to those who read this in the first hours it was up, the Goldenflower typo is gone now. Thanks to WildCroconaw for pointing that out to me.  
**

**Hey. Long-time no update, huh? Well, the throat infection's gone, and so is my grandpa. He died shortly after the last update. To all of my readers: Don't smoke. Smoking causes lung cancer, which causes death, which causes devastated family members who then don't update their fanfictions for three weeks because they are too sad to write. Kapiche? **

**Although, in all fairness, part of my not updating is caused by the fact that I got a rabid plot-bunny for a Les Mis fic, which I've written about 6 or seven chapters for, but have yet to post. Do you guys think I should post it? Review and tell me.**

Chapter 15

The Will to Go On

"Just how long are we planning to stay here?" Rosepetal hissed, clawing at the ground.

"Good question," Oakstep agreed, flicking his tail.

"As long as is necessary," Goldensong replied from where she stood next to Hawkfire.

"Why should we leave? The clans are probably already destroyed," Moonshine put in bitterly, gazing sorrowfully at the floor.

_Ashfire,_ Hopeflower thought sadly, remembering her first love, and feeling a stab of pain as she thought of him. She was surprised at how much the thought of him and Moonshine together still hurt. She'd thought she was well and truly over it. Yet somehow, it still hurt, surprisingly even more than the sight of Goldensong standing next to Hawkfire, who clearly loved the misty she-cat. She shook her head, forcing herself to forget that, and instead focus on what Moonshine had just said.

"Moonshine, don't say things like that!" she hissed. "We can't know for sure that the clans are destroyed."

"But they probably are! You heard what Hawkfire said he saw that dawn when we left! Flames everywhere, and the lake was red with blood!" Moonshine retorted with a furious yowl. "They're dead, Hopeflower, all of them are dead!"

"We don't know that!" Hopeflower screeched in response. "We need to have hope, hope that they are still alive! For all of them, for our littermates, for Ashfire!"

Moonshine stared at her with wide eyes as Hopeflower gasped, realizing what she had just said. Would Moonshine realize why she had mentioned Ashfire, or would she think she had only mentioned his name because Moonshine loved him? Which would her sister think? Her heart raced with fear while she tried to force Ashfire from her mind. She didn't love him. She couldn't. Moonshine loved him.

"You're right, Hopeflower," Moonshinre replied at last, and Hopeflower sighed in relief, releasing the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding in. "It's just so hard to find the will to go on."

"Well, you have to try," Hopeflower retorted before leaving.

"We should probably leave here soon," Lightningstrike meowed. "I think staying here is starting to get to all of us."

"That's an understatement," Mist agreed, swishing her tail.

"I agree with Mist," Boltpaw put in.

Echoeflower nodded. "The clans need us, and every day the Dark Forest is gaining strength, while we hide here. We have to go back."

Goldensong nodded. "It is time for us to return. Time to bring rogues and clans together, along with the Tribe. Time to release the Lost Ones. It is time for all cats to make the final stand."

"It's time to fight," Rosepetal hissed, joy in her eyes at the thought.

"Then it's settled, we should leave at dawn," Goldensong meowed, and the other cats all nodded in agreement. "Lightningstrike, we will need you to try to convince as many rogues as possible to come with us while we go. Before we return to the Clans, we will need to stop at the Tribe of Rushing Water. They are as much a part of this war as the rest of us. Moonshine, when the War is over, it will be time for you to free us." Goldensong's eyes met Moonshine's for a moment as she spoke.

"Anything else?" Boltpaw asked.

"Nothing that we need to sort out this moment," Goldensong replied. "We should get some rest. We will meet outside at dawn."

**Hollyleaf: Well, that was an interesting ending. Not. You just ended it.**

**Mormeril: I tried to make a better ending, but I couldn't. I swear!  
**

**Blackstar: Whatever, better than nothing.  
**

**Mormeril: Thank you, Blackstar. Anyway, I really want to post my Les Mis fanfic, but I don't know if I should. What do you guys think? Yes or no? Tell me in reviews!  
**


	17. Ch 16: Lily

**Sorry it's so short. This plot bunny has been snoozing while my Les Miserables plot bunny went rabid and bit me, so that's where I've been the last little bit. Eponine's Tale, my Les Mis fanfic, is now up. Nearly ten chapters of it, in fact. Like I said, that plot bunny is rabid.**

Chapter 16

Lily

A small reddish-brown she-cat slipped quietly among the rocks. She was the grand-kit of Stormfur and Brook-Where-Small-Fish-Swim, and a prey-hunter. Her name was Lily-That-Grows-in-Valley, and she was in her second season cycle.

And she felt completely out of place in the Tribe.

She wasn't like the others. The others felt perfectly at ease with where they were and how things were, but not her. She loved the mountains, but she wanted to see what else there was beyond them. For example, the Lake.

Her heart was filled with desire to see the Lake. The Clan cats lived by the Lake. She was curious about the Clans, more curious about them than anything. But all she knew about the Clans was the little bits she'd learned from her mother and other cats. The Tribe rarely spoke of the Clans, and learning about them and leaving the mountains were the only two things her mother wouldn't grant her.

She'd never met her father; he had supposedly died during the Dark Forest War. And she was the only kit her mother had. She'd had three littermates, but they had all died within their first moon. Because of this, her mother sheltered her, protected her, and gave into her every wish. Save the wishes for freedom and knowledge of the Clans.

In her opinion, it was totally unfair. Other cats got to learn about the clans, but her mother ensured that they never told her anything. It was like her mother _wanted_ her in the dark. It was ridiculous!

But she'd found a place, a special place, where she could see far into the distance. She liked to imagine that she could see the borders of Clan territory from that place, even though she knew that it was a three or four day journey, and was therefore impossible to see that far. But she liked to pretend.

When asked, Lily couldn't explain why she was so fascinated by the Clans. But her mother's father, Stormfur, had been born a Clan cat, so she figured it was just the bit of Clan blood in her that made her curious. But she felt, deep down, that it was something more than that. Like the Clans were part of her destiny. She didn't know why, but she could feel it, deep inside her.

Someday, she would meet the Clans, and understand. That day, everything would be clear to her.


	18. Ch 17: Blackstar's Sorrow

**I'm sorry I keep giving you short chapters, especially when I promised that the next one would be longer. But that was before I got this idea, and it just wouldn't flow well with my plan for the finale of this book, which will be the next chapter, which I will finish and post sometime tomorrow. Also, I was out of town the last few days, and the next chapter is on my desktop, which stayed at home, and I typed this up in twenty-fifteen minutes in the van on my netbook :P**

**Well, Merry Christmas! I got Yellowfang's Secret and a bunch of Les Miserables stuff, which made for a very happy Les Miserabby (the nickname my friends gave me, a combination of my usual nickname (Abby, short for Abigail), and Les Miserables, given because I am obsessed with it). Hope you all had a great Christmas, unless you aren't Christian or one of the people who celebrates Chistmas as a secular holiday, and therefore do not celebrate Christmas, in which case, I hope you're having a nice holiday in general (forgive my run-on sentence which was an attempt to be politically correct which became a crazy ADD rambling that even I can barely interpret). You know what, I just shouldn't talk. Life would be easier for everyone then. I'm shutting up now. (runs away)**

**Hollyleaf: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year review or DIE! *whips out chainsaw***

Chapter 17:

Blackstar's Sorrow

Blackstar slipped from the cave where the Clan cats were staying. He was no longer the same strong handsome, brave leader of ShadowClan that he had once been long ago. His eyes which had once gleamed with wit, courage, and stubborn determination, were now haunted and dull. His once gleaming white pelt with sleek black paws was ragged now, no longer the same pelt he had proudly kept well groomed. He had given up grooming it days ago now, and it was slowly becoming matted. He hadn't been eating properly for the past quarter moon either. He had neither the strength nor the will.

The ShadowClan leader was old now. He had been leader for many, many season cycles now. He had been the leader for a while before the Clans had left the Old Forest, which was long ago now; beyond the memory of most living cats. Firestar's old mate, Sandstorm, was younger than him, and had already become an elder.

He gazed up at the stars, tired. He was exhausted, and as he stared at the stars, he knew he was ready. He was tired of life by now, and felt ready to join StarClan. But he knew he couldn't, not yet. There was still one last battle for him to fight. One last war; a war that would come soon. But then, after the war was fought and won, it would be time.

"Soon, Hollyleaf. I will join you in StarClan soon, my love," he murmured, shutting his tired eyes. "Soon..."

"Blackstar?" The voice of his daughter, Larkwing, pierced the silent night. "Blackstar?"

He didn't answer her, and continued to gaze up at the stars, longing filling his gaze. Larkwing was brave and strong, a charismatic young she-cat. She would be a great leader one day. He imagined her as deputy under Rowanclaw's leadership, and then rising up to be leader. Yes, she would be a brilliant leader someday...

"Blakstar," she repeated again. She was right behind him now, he could hear her soft breath. He remained silent, knowing what she wanted. But there was nothing he could do. "Father," she said finally, her voice growing cold. Blackstar stiffened. It wasn't often that his kits called him that, and when they did, they meant business.

"Yes, Larkwing?" he meowed slowly.

"Blackstar, this has to stop," she meowed, stepping forward to stand beside him. "If war is coming you will need your strength. You're not sleeping enough, you're barely eating..." The look in her eyes was pleading and desperate. He could sense her concern and fear. "I don't want to lose you, not when Hopeflower and Moonshine are missing! I need you, the Clan needs you! We all need you."

Blackstar shut his eyes. "You are so like your mother," he murmured.

Her mouth opened slightly, incredulous.

"You'll make a great leader someday."

"Blackstar-"

He stood then, and turned, returning to the cave.

Larkwing gazed after him, eyes sorrowful. "Blackstar..."

**Blackstar: I hope you all review. Fear not, it is safe. Hollyleaf has been removed from the chainsaw, which has been destroyed.**

**Hollyleaf: (from closet that she is locked in) But the sledgehammer isn't!**

**Blackstar: *gulps* MORMERIL!**


	19. Ch 18: Resuming the Journey

**OK, so this isn't as long as I wanted it to be, but it's teh best I could pull together. So, here you are. The End of Book 4. The prologue to book five will be up on New Year's Day. But in teh meantime, here you go, and also, BOOK 5 SNEAK PEEK ONLINE! Only on my website, mormeril#!_fanfiction/rising-night-series**

**Hollyleaf: I am still mad about losing my chainsaw.  
**

**Mormeril: Well, it was for the best so shut up. Hope you all have a Happy New Year! Now, I'm off. Les Miserables Marathon with a friend tonight, then a Harry Potter Marathon tomorrow. Yippee!  
**

Chapter 18

Resuming the Journey

The Chosen, Goldensong, and Mist all assembled outside of Hummingbird's cavern, ready to leave. They would go to the Tribe of Rushing Water first, gathering as many rogues as allies as they could, then return to the Clans.

The cats were all nervous, yet excited as well at the thought of seeing their loved ones again. Moonshine was pacing, clearly worried about Ashfire.

Hopeflower glanced at her sister, and felt a sudden rush of burning anger and envy at the thought of her sister and Ashfire together. _No, I can't feel that way. What am I thinking? I'm over it by now, aren't I? I'm in love with Hawkfire! At least, I think I am._ She glanced at Hawkfire and Goldensong, and was horrified to realize that she didn't feel half as jealous of Goldensong as she did of her sister. _No. I won't hurt Moonshine by being in love with Ashfire. I can't! She's my sister!_

But somehow, Hopeflower knew that this was something she couldn't control. _Why? Why him? And why must he love my sister?_

Hopeflower forced herself to stop thinking about it. _For StarClan's sake, Hopeflower, for all you know he could be dead now! Forget him! You have a duty that you must focus on. Saving the Clans is more important than being a love-sick fool! You're not a kit anymore._

She sighed as she gazed at the rest of the cats.

"It is time," Goldensong meowed. "Time for us to return to the Clans, and lead them to victory!"

"To victory!" the rest of the cats cheered in agreement, Hopeflower adding her voice to the mix.

"I will go as well, if you do not mind," Hummingbird meowed quietly, stepping forward.

"Of course," Lightningstrike meowed happily. "We'd be pleased to have you fighting alongside us.

Hummingbird's eyes widened. "No, not to fight! But extra paws would be useful for helping with hunting and healing."

The rest of the cats nodded.

"Of course," Moonshine purred. "Those are skills that are just as useful as fighting."

The gathered cats turned their faces in the direction of the mountains. A single peak was visible high above, far in the distance.

"The time is here," Hopeflower murmured.

"Let us welcome it gladly with courage and cheer," Boltpaw hissed.

"Let us join in the battle with no doubt in our hearts," Mist growled. "We will win."

"All cats will now be united together," Goldensong meowed.

"But first, we must ensure that the Tribe will join us," Rosepetal meowed as Oakstep nodded.

"Then it's settled. Now let's go," Hopeflower meowed before surging forward towards the mountains. The other cats gazed after her.

"She's changed," Moonshine meowed softly. Hawkfire glanced at her.

"How so?" The tom asked.

"I don't know, but she's not the same. Something's happened," Moonshine mewed. Then she shrugged. "But she's right. We have to go."

And with that, the rest of the cats followed. They were on their way.

* * *

Ivytalon hissed as she stalked in a circle. "They think the Clans will survive, but they're wrong. We've already won the war, even though the final battle is yet to take place. But they stand no chance."

She snarled as she stopped, gazing at a starless sky. "There is but a single moon left. One moon from now, the sun will rise on the end of the Clans."


End file.
